This is sad

Below is a quote from this German band's website that I was trying to find out where I could find their music. I was actually looking for this one record from them that we have at the station. I actually want to buy the LP otherwise I would have just ripped it from the one at the station. The band themselves use to offer all their music via downloads. They are the sole owners of the copyright to their music and this is what happened:

"From 2000 till 2005 we offer all tracks by Die Tödliche Doris for the free download.
For a pitty since 2005 the GEMA create a new law,. that also the copyright-owner have to pay money in future, if they offer their music on a public website for free download.
This was the reason, we canít offer our tracks in public anymore."

You understood correctly. I don't understand who is getting this money if they are indeed the sole copyright owners, which they are.

My guess is that there is a "processing" fee for the money that is collected for royalties. This fee is probably how GEMA sustains itself so the royalty portion reserved for the artist is more than likely a minimal fraction.

Institutions such as Soundexchange and GEMA only represent and benefit the Big record corporations (EMI BMI and so on).Right now they have the law on their side because they claim they are protecting artist from the horrors of piracy.

I am not negating that piracy isn't an issue and that artist who want to make a profit shouldn't have the right to protect themselves. However, the burden of collections and law suits should be on artist themselves and not a group that only really represents a fraction of artist and corporations of the money that is being collected.

When I think of Soundexchange and GEMA I think of those Lawyer Firm commercials that one sees around midday on TV trying to get people to hire the firm to sue prescription companies or corporations with asbestos for peoples alleged related health problems. I believe they are called ambulance chasers.

I truly believe that artist who own their material should have the right to do what they wish with their artistic material. If they wish to sue me for downloading their songs... go for it. If they wish to give their music away for downloads without consequence, even better.

Soundexchange, GEMA and many other institutions like them are making money out of people who aren't even aware that they are collecting money on their behalf. Is kind of like that guy who "Takes Care" of your car when you go to a show but in reality you are just giving him a hand out because you fear that he may be the one that your car needs protecting from. Some artist who are aware of Soundexchange and want nothing to do with them are still supplying them with funds every time their song gets reported.

With more independent labels forming and benefiting from the convenience of the "digital age", I foresee a lot of them getting pissed at sound exchange for what they are doing. As you know, Sound exchange on behalf of the Artist, get a fraction of a cent per play times per internet listener.

Perhaps the best course of action to get rid of these institutions would be to wait about 10 years. In the meantime get as many Artist as you can on the same boat. Then on the 10th year we all call up JG Wentworth and say: IT'S MY MONEY AND I NEED IT NOW! and sue the hell out of Soundexchange for all the money not received with in those 10 years plus interest.

Thanks for your quick response, xpat. I agree with you on GEMA, Soundexchange and similar organizations. They seem to be little more than middlemen who manipulate the system for their own personal profit. Fortunately, they (and the corporate labels they represent) are becoming irrelevant in an era where major acts like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails are able to manage their own affairs. If the corporate record industry puts itself ahead of the artists it's supposed to serve, then it shouldn't even exist.

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